2023 PS5 Exclusives We’re Waiting On A PlayStation Showcase For

PlayStation has several exclusive titles in the works that they’ve kept quietly under the radar for quite some time. Although fans might be aware that these titles are upcoming by various Sony Studios, not much information has been released, and it’s likely PlayStation is waiting for its next Showcase to reveal more.

The last PlayStation Showcase in September 2021 revealed titles like God of War Ragnarök, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Wolverine, and a remake of BioWare’s classic Star Wars RPG, Knights of the Old Republic. Hopes were high that some of these titles would give players a new trailer in the recent February 2023 State of Play, but that focused prominently on PSVR 2 titles to coincide with the device’s launch, as well as multi-platform titles such as the Resident Evil 4 remake, and an extended look at Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Related: Everything Revealed During PlayStation State Of Play (Feb 2023)

7 Untitled Bend Studios Game

It’s been confirmed that major first-party studios have been developing games for the PlayStation 5, but the specifics of the titles have yet to be revealed. In June 2022, Syphon Filter and Days Gone developer Bend Studios announced a new multiplayer IP was in development after its pitch for a sequel to its open-world zombie title Days Gone was rejected by Sony. The pitch for Days Gone‘s sequel included a multiplayer mode, and the studio appears to be expanding upon this for its new IP which it will also be developing in the same engine.

6 Untitled Santa Monica Studios Game

Santa Monica Studio’s Cory Barlog, Director for 2018’s God of War, hinted in a November 2022 interview that the studio was working on multiple projects. Barlog previously revealed that he was working on a new project when it was announced that Eric Williams would direct the 2022 sequel God of War Ragnarök. Still, the studio has remained secretive surrounding what this new title will be. For now, fans will have to wait and see whether Balrog’s new will be related to God of War, or if the studio is working on a new IP.

5 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s

Although a 2022 PlayStation Showcase didn’t happen, Sony and Insomniac did confirm that its highly anticipated superhero sequel Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 would be targeting a Fall 2023 release date at the end of 2022. Given the success of its predecessors, 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and 2022’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and the setups for future stories, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 always seemed inevitable, but the game was officially revealed at the 2021 Showcase with a cinematic trailer that showed both Peter and Miles fighting side by side, along with a reveal of the fan-favorite Spider-Man foe, Venom.

Although no new footage has been shown, the cast and crew of Marvel’s Spider-Man series have provided several updates. Venom actor and horror icon Tony Todd accidentally narrowed the release window down to September 2023 in a now-deleted tweet, suggesting publicity would ramp up in August. Scott Porter, the actor who portrayed Harry Osborn in Marvel’s Spider-Man’s audio logs, confirmed he will not be returning for the sequel, due to Insomniac opting to go “photo real” with the graphics for the PS5 exclusive. Creative VP of Marvel Entertainment, Bill Rosemann also revealed that the title would be darker than the first two entries, which seems fitting given the Venom symbiote arc in the comics that is being adapted.

4 The Last Of Us’ Standalone Multiplayer Game

The Last of Us‘ multiplayer title has been in the works for a while. Despite originally being intended as an updated version of the first title’s Factions mode for 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2, it’s been claimed that the title expanded and became too big, resulting in Naughty Dog making it a standalone experience. Players got a first look at the title at the June 2022 Summer Game Fest with new concept art showing a vast open map, with series creator Neil Druckmann announcing that more information would be coming in 2023.

Job listings have indicated that the upcoming The Last of Us title may be free-to-play; with the inclusion of microtransactions. Combined with a whole new cast of characters and a standalone story, it offers a new entry point for players who haven’t played the previous titles or watched the acclaimed HBO adaptation to explore The Last of Us‘ post-apocalyptic world with friends. Given the recent success of the HBO show and The Last of Us Part 1‘s impending PC release, there is an increased interest in the series currently, so hopefully, an update on the multiplayer title will come soon, with a PlayStation Showcase being the perfect place to do it.

Related: 10 Games That Deserve A TV Show After The Last Of Us

3 Ghost of Tsushima 2

The original Ghost of Tsushima was a huge success for Sony and Sucker Punch when it launched in 2020. Its story saw Jin Sakai struggling to maintain the way of the Samurai and honor his family’s legacy while protecting Tsushima Island from Mongolian forces that deployed more devious tactics and drew inspiration from classic Samurai cinema such as the works of Akira Kurosawa, with the acclaimed director getting a shoutout with a special “Kurosawa“ mode that makes the already visually stunning title resemble some of his most iconic films.

Although a sequel has yet to be officially announced by Sucker Punch, various job listings have all but confirmed that it’s in the works. Ghost of Tsushima had multiple heartbreaking endings depending on a crucial choice the players make in the game’s final showdown, so the sequel will probably have to pick one to be canon or find a way to copy over player data before bringing the story into a more definitive path.

2 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Remake

Sony has announced titles from third-party studios such as Kojima Productions and Aspyr Media. At the last PlayStation Showcase in 2021, it was announced that the latter was developing a “faithful one-to-one remake” of the acclaimed 2003 Bioware RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic that would be an exclusive for the PS5 and PC at launch and would come to additional consoles at a later date. The studio previously ported the original KOTOR to iOS devices and is no stranger to the title, however, it had been reported that the development of the KOTOR remake had been indefinitely halted in July 2022 after the studio abruptly fired the game’s art director and design director.

1 Death Stranding 2

More recently at the 2022 Game Awards, long-time PlayStation collaborator and video game auteur Hideo Kojima revealed a sequel to Death Stranding. Death Stranding 2 had already been unofficially revealed by its lead actor Norman Reedus, and its new trailer showed the return of his character Sam, and Lea Seydoux’s return as Fragile. The DS2 trailer followed Kojima’s typical cryptic style, with a sequence showing Fragile caring for a baby before being attacked, as well as an older, grey-haired version of Sam, but ultimately didn’t overtly give much away about the sequel’s story, although fans would later uncover several hidden clues through intense analysis.

With Kojima Productions partnering with Xbox on an exclusive recently, it’s clear that the studio isn’t going to tie itself to a specific publisher. Death Stranding was a huge success when it launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, selling over 10 million copies, and although it later came to PC – as many PlayStation exclusives have in recent years – it is still synonymous with the PlayStation platform. Hopefully, PlayStation will reveal a lot more about these games in 2023.